Brooks Sports, Inc., also known as Brooks Running, is an American sports equipment company that designs and markets high-performance men's and women's sneakers, clothing, and accessories. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Brooks products are available in 60 countries worldwide. The company is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.

Founded in 1914, Brooks originally manufactured shoes for a broad range of sports. Popular in the mid-1970s, the company faltered in the latter part of the decade, and filed for bankruptcy protection in 1981. In 2001, the product line was cut by more than 50% to focus the brand solely on running, and its concentration on performance technology was increased. Brooks Running became the top selling brand in the specialty running shoe market in 2011, and remained so through 2017 with a 25% market share.

History

Early history: Founding, Bruxshu Gymnasium Shoes, Carmen Manufacturing

Brooks Sports, Inc. was founded in 1914 by John Brooks Goldenberg, following his purchase of the Quaker Shoe Company, a manufacturer of bathing shoes and ballet slippers. Based in Philadelphia, it operated as a partnership between Goldenberg and his brothers, Michael and Frank. By 1920, Quaker Shoes had been renamed Brooks Shoe Manufacturing Co., Inc., and its shoes were sold under the brand name Bruxshu. In addition to bathing shoes and ballet slippers, it sold a gymnasium shoe, Ironclad Gyms. The company's innovations included the 1938 introduction of orthopedic shoes for children, Pedicraft, and rubber brakes for roller skates (then known as "quick stops"), patented in 1944.

thumb|170px|1920 ad for Bruxshu Gymnasium Shoes|left

In 1938, the Goldenbergs purchased the Carmen Shoe Manufacturing Company in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Until 1957, a better grade leather was purchased, cut, stitched and fit in Philadelphia, while the same procedure in Hanover used lower grade materials. Both shoes were sold in Philadelphia under the Brooks name, and ranged from inexpensive to high-priced.

In 1956, after a series of operational changes, John notified his brother that he would not renew their partnership agreement, and Michael discussed expanding Carmen with his nephew, Frank's son Barton. In 1957, following the dissolution of the partnership, the existence of Brooks Shoe Manufacturing Company was terminated, and Michael and Barton each acquired 50% of Carmen. In 1958, Michael purchased Barton's interest in the company, and as the sole owner, he renamed Carmen the Brooks Manufacturing Company.

1980s: Bankruptcy, the Chariot, Brooks for Women

In 1980, as a result of production issues with Brooks' manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico, defective shoes began to arrive at sporting goods stores. Nearly 30% of the shoes were returned, and Brooks scrapped 50,000 pairs. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and was purchased at auction by footwear manufacturer Wolverine World Wide in 1981.

1990s: The Beast, Adrenaline, ownership changes, apparel, Run Happy

thumb|right|Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18 (2017)

In 1992, Brooks launched the Beast, a motion control shoe that integrated diagonal rollbar technology. In 1994, the Adrenaline GTS—an abbreviation for go-to support—was released. The Adrenaline GTS was built on a semi-curve, an accommodation for runners with a high arch and wide forefoot. The Beast became a best seller, and the Adrenaline GTS went on to become one of the best-selling running shoes of all time.

Brooks's Run Happy tag line first appeared in print advertising in 1999. As the brand was rebuilt, its annual revenue fell to $20 million. Three years later, it was $69 million. It subsequently developed BioMoGo, a biodegradable mid-sole for running shoes. Brooks made the technology open source and estimated that it would cut more than 30 million pounds of landfill waste over a 20-year period.

2010s: DNA, $500 million milestone, Brooks Heritage

Introduced in 2013, Brooks DNA (and later Super DNA) adapted to the user's gender, weight and pace. It was engineered from non-Newtonian liquid.

In 2011, Brooks became the leading running shoe in the specialty market with revenue of 500 million.

2020s: Let's Run There

In 2024, Brooks launched a marketing campaign with the slogan: "Let's Run There", with the spotlight on actor Jeremy Renner's road to recovery from a near-fatal snowplow accident a year prior.

Accolades

Brooks was named Brand of the Year by Footwear News in 2012.

In 2025, Brooks shoes won numerous awards at the Runner's World Shoe Awards: Caldera 8 for Best Trail Shoes, and Glycerin Max, Glycerin GTS 22, and Ghost 17 for Best Training Shoes. In addition, the Ghost 17, Hyperion Max 3, Adrenaline GTS 25, and Cascadia 19 made the list of the 15 Best Running Shoes of 2026. Sports Illustrated listed the Hyperion Elite 5 on their 10 Best Running Shoes of Spring 2026.

Sponsorships

Brooks sponsors the Brooks Beasts Track Club and Hansons-Brooks Distance Project. Notable past or present sponsors include two-time Olympic Medalist Josh Kerr, Olympic runner Dathan Ritzenhein, two-time Olympian Kara Goucher, Olympic runner Jess McClain, and three-time Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington. Brooks has also sponsored celebrities such as Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Cynthia Erivo.

In June 2025, Brooks became the main shirt sponsor for EFL League Two side Cambridge United.

References

<!--======================== ============================

| PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IN ADDING MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. Wikipedia |

| is not a collection of links nor should it be used for advertising. |

| |

| Excessive or inappropriate links WILL BE DELETED. |

| See Wikipedia:External links & Wikipedia:Spam for details. |

| |

| If there are already plentiful links, please propose additions or |

| replacements on this article's discussion page, or submit your link |

| to the relevant category at the Open Directory Project (dmoz.org) |

| and link back to that category using the template. |

|======================== ==========================|

-->